The Knight of the Sky
by Blizzard980
Summary: Blaze the Cat and her friends are kidnapped by a dark king whose mission is to conquer the multiverse. Sky the Lynx, adventurer, hooligan, and ace-pilot, is the only one left standing against the will of a tyrant. It is now up to him to save the princess, defeat the king, and be the hero he's always wanted to be. But first, he needs a drink!
1. Chapter 1

_The air was filled with the chaotic sounds of battle. Occasionally an artillery shell would strike the castle, sending stone, dust, and debris hurling to the floor below, creating quite the mess of the expansive, shadowy throne-room. In the center of the massive space, two heroes, a young lynx and a lilac-furred cat, battled against a large, humanoid creature clad in armor of the darkest black, with a purple cape which flowed behind it. The creature wielded a massive sword which seemed to swallow all light it touched._

" _Your efforts are futile," said the demon-king in a booming voice. "This world and yours will be mine!"_

" _You will never win, you monster!" retorted the purple feline. The lynx followed up with a rude hand gesture._

" _Yeah, up yours, pal! This ain't over yet!" he shouted._

 _The creature swung downwards towards the lynx, who cursed and leapt back before swinging in with his own sword. Having lesser skill with the blade, the blow was easily blocked. In the lynx's other hand was a massive revolver, which he quickly brought to bear against the demon, but was knocked out of his hand. The lynx fell backwards from the force of the blow and began pushing himself away from the dark creature, who moved in for the killing blow. Once more, the demon-king raised his great sword and brought it hurling towards the defenseless man below._

" _No!" screamed the cat, who hurled a ball of flame at the demon and lunged…_

 _ **XXX**_

 _ **Hi! My name's Sky. Sky the Lynx. You might have guessed it by now, but that moron lying on the floor waiting to be killed is me. I'm many things: the best pilot to ever live, an epic adventurer, a master of the poker table, and a lover of the ladies. But as you can see here, I'm no swordsman.**_

 _ **Thankfully I have the beautiful princess, Blaze, backing me up. She's that gorgeous kitty throwing heaters at the bad guy. Of course, you probably already knew that, seeing as she's one of the "official" heroes who gets to be in video games, comic books, and- Ah, whatever, I'm rambling.**_

 _ **So look, you wanna know how some unimportant chump like me ended up sword-fighting a demon-king in a crumbling castle? Well, strap in buddy, because this one's going to be a doozy! This whole fiasco started about a week ago when me and my boy Jax were out and about, just engaging in some harmless, everyday hooliganism…**_

 _ **XXX**_

"…Seriously?" Sky panted after such heavy exertion. It had taken the two pilots an eternity to get to the end of the cavern, which had been filled with booby traps, unstable bridges over bottomless pits, a blind monk, and more than a few heavily-armed robotic pirates. What's worse, the entirety of the cavern's floor was coated in a rancid, oily substance of which its origin was unknown.

"What?" Asked the blue lizard standing next to him, Jax. The pair were identically dressed, with leather bomber jackets, scarves, thick gloves, and knee-high boots. Both of them had a good slavering of the aforementioned oil on their legs, arms, and torsos.

"Whaddya mean, 'what'?! A _ring_?! You drug me out to the middle of nowhere for a simple ring?! This thing is probably only worth like, what, two hundred bucks?!" Sky asked in exasperation, gesturing to the simple, silver ring on the pedestal in the center of the circular chamber in which they stood. There was no doubt that this ring was the main attraction, because is was illuminated by a single beam of sunlight which shone through a narrow tunnel in the ceiling. The only other things of significance in the room were two stone dragon heads on the back wall, and there was no way the lynx was going to try hauling them back to the plane. Beside him, Jax shrugged.

"Look, man, you heard that monk back there! This thing has some sort of special power or something! It could be as powerful as a sol emerald for all we know!"

"Yeah, I'm feeling the power oozing from the walls. Oh, my bad, that's just this god-awful slime!" Retorted Sky sarcastically. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before moving towards the platform. He saw no pressure plates like before, so it seemed safe enough. "Whatever. We came all this way, might as well get it-."

"They be this way!" a mechanized voice rang out from far down the hall from whence the two troublemakers had come.

"They shot Avery! Kill 'em!" came another. The sounds of metal boots clanking on the hard floor could be heard as well. Jax reached onto his hip for his revolver, a beastly thing with a long barrel and more than enough power to be a threat.

"Sky, hurry up! We've got company!" the lizard warned with just a little fear in his voice. Sky drew his own cannon and without thinking, swiped the ring from the pedestal. At first, nothing happened, which raised his hopes that there would be a-

From the open maws of the two dragons on the wall spurted two jets of flame. When the fire made contact with the cloudy oil on the floor, the mystery substance lit up like a firework. The blaze began spreading rapidly, but not so rapidly that the two pilots couldn't outrun it.

-Trap. There was always a trap! Sky yelped in surprise, feeling the heat of the flames licking at his boots, before turning tail and sprinting away. Jax looked back, and once he discovered the flames, ran as well.

"You idiot!" yelled Jax as they ran back down the way they came, through a narrow, rocky corridor. When they'd first come in, it had been dark, but now it held a flickering orange glow from the flames just a few yards back. "Why didn't you check for traps?!"

"We don't have the luxury of time here!" Sky shouted back through labored breathing, occasionally slipping on the oil. "Get ready for a fight!"

At this rate, they'd run right into the blood-thirsty reinforcements of the pirates they'd killed on the way in. And lo and behold, they were right! They came to the end of the tunnel, which abruptly opened up to a gaping chasm. High above, they could see the blue sky between the imposing cliff walls. Below them was a rapidly-flowing river, some two hundred feet below. On the other side, about fifty yards away, was another tunnel similar to the one they'd just come out of, connected only by an ancient bridge constructed with rotting boards and frayed ropes. Across the gap, several armed robots jogged out of the tunnel and stopped. There was nothing as the two groups stared at each other in silence. Then, their captain, who was much larger than the rest and wore an ornate hat, stomped to the front. The others stepped aside to let him through. The captain let out a hearty laugh and rested his hand-held cannon on his shoulder.

"Well, would ye look at what we've got here, boys? Seems we've got a couple-a rats aboard!" he chuckled lowly. The other bots followed along with their own laughter, and both pilots gulped. The pilots were definitely outmatched. Sky and Jax looked back, and saw the roaring flames fast approaching as well. The duo was trapped between two equally unappealing ways to die.

"What now?" Jax hissed to the lynx beside him. Sky's brown eyes scanned frantically for a way out.

"I-I don't know! Stall them!" he hissed back. Jax grumbled and stepped forward, raising his hands.

"H-Hey, look! We're, uh, really sorry about your pals and all!" Jax called to the pirates, who snarled audibly.

"Yar! Ye killed our crew! Don't think ye can weasel yer way outta this, ye scurvy-infested curs!" Boomed one of the pirates. Jax groaned silently and continued regardless.

"Yeah, but, that just comes with the territory and all! Piracy and treasure hunting are dangerous business! What if we just cut a deal? Or something?" Asked the lizard, desperately looking back at the approaching flames, and Sky slipping the ring onto one of his gloved fingers. His friend hadn't done much else, which worried him. On the other side, at least, the pirates seemed to be pondering his words. The captain stepped forward again.

"Aye, a trade, then? If ye give us the ring, we'll let ye pass!" offered the robot. Jax looked back at Sky, who shook his head no. Jax agreed. Pirates could never be trusted. As soon as they got the ring, they'd quickly slaughter the two. That ring was their ace in the sleeve. They needed to hold onto it in order to get out alive.

"N-No, I don't think that'll work-!"

"Ye have no choice, far as I can tell. The fire's creepin' up. You're runnin' outta time."

"Crap. Sky? Got anything?" Jax whispered, looking back to the lynx. His eyes widened when he saw Sky raising his revolver. "No! No! No! No! Don't-!"

 ** _BLAM!_**

The bullet barely missed the captain, instead striking a lackey, who flew back into the wall from the force of the bullet. Jax yelled and cursed as he ran back into the tunnel. More bullets and even a cannonball from the captain's weapon struck around him, sending rock and dirt flying every which way and rattling the tunnel dangerously. Jax pressed himself up against the wall and crouched behind Sky, who was firing off potshots across the gap. The pirates retreated into their own tunnel, but still brought their guns to bear on the pilots. More bullets and cannon shot slammed against the walls, causing Sky to duck back in. Jax punched his shoulder.

"That was your plan?!" the lizard roared, looking back at the flames, which were starting to make the tunnel nice and toasty. Sky shrugged.

"Not my fault you're a bad negotiator-!"

"Cut the rope, ye fools! Let 'em burn!" the captain's voice could be heard yelling from the other side. Soon after followed the sounds of ancient ropes snapping from the strike of a sword, and a booming crash that could only be the one bridge out of here crashing into the side of the cliff. Both pilots swore and peeked their heads around the corner. Sure enough, there was no more bridge. It was only connected on their side, swaying violently against the imposing rock wall to the raging river below. The two pilots looked to each other and groaned.

"Hell, what now?!" Jax asked, having to inch up to keep the flames from catching his jacket on fire. Sky growled and looked around frantically. The pirates were on the other side, still firing on them. It was impossible to go across. The only way he could think of was either up or down. But there was no way they'd have the strength to climb such a steep incline. That only left down, and it was a harrowing fall to the bottom. Unless…

"I got it! Get to the bridge and try climbing down. It's gotta be close enough to the bottom to jump from. I'll cover you! Go!" Sky hissed. Jax rolled his eyes and went prone, crawling towards the edge while firing his revolver at the pirates. They fired back, and bullets began slamming into the ground around him, stinging his face with the little chunks of rock that flew up in response. But he kept going. A bullet was a much better alternative to burning. Sky poked around the corner and began firing as well, which took the pressure off Jax immensely. The lizard peered over the edge and found that Sky was right in that the bridge nearly reached the bottom. But the ropes were rotted along with the boards. There'd be no guarantee that the whole thing wouldn't collapse and send him plummeting! Heart in his throat, he none the less swung his legs over the edge and began descending, using the wooden slats as rungs on a ladder. Above, he could hear Sky firing back on the pirates. It took the pressure off him, but occasionally a bullet would strike near him, forcing him to descend faster. Every few steps, a board would snap, sending him tumbling a few feet. This was insane! Why had he ever thought of coming here?!

"Why did I let that idiot drag me out here?!" Sky grunted as he ducked back into cover to reload. The flames were beginning to lick at his jacket, forcing him to inch closer to the edge of the corner. Any further and he would be in direct line of sight of the pirates. The flames didn't feel that hot to him, but he chalked that up to his thick, leather clothing. It would give him a precious few seconds. He just needed to wait until Jax was safely at the bottom. He leaned around the corner, placing one hand on the wall to steady himself, and raising the revolver in his other. He let off three carefully aimed shots at a group of pirates who had mustered enough courage to peek around their own cover. He was pretty sure he grazed one, but other than that they ducked away again unharmed. He had to conserve ammunition. He probably only had two cylinders left worth of bullets in his coat pocket, plus three in the can right now- fifteen shots.

"Come on! Where's your A-game?!" Sky called out angrily, his ears pinning back against his head, and fired off another shot. "Make a line! You'll all get your turn!"

If he'd been paying attention, he would have realized that the oil on his boots had just caught fire. For some odd reason, he couldn't feel it. The flames moved on to his trousers, then to his jacket. Only then did he realize what was happening and let out a terrified scream as he dove away from the flames, right into the line of fire. He danced and rolled, trying to avoid bullets whilst engulfed in flames. Instinctively, he rolled away from the gunfire, right back into the flames. Instinctively, he began screaming in pain… only to find that he felt none.

"The hell?" he whispered to himself, peeking his eyes open to find that besides the oil, the fire seemed to be ignoring him entirely. In fact, it felt sort of pleasant, as if he were taking a warm bath. He looked to the ring in shock. Could this thing-?

"SKY! SHOOT! THE DAMN! PIRATES!" Jax's voice rang out, bringing Sky back to the present. Sky quickly got back on his feet and sent a few more shots across the canyon, still marveling at how the fire did not affect him. The pirates took notice as well, momentarily holding their fire to point and whisper. But it didn't last. Sky ducked back down as more shots came his way. He needed to get out of here.

The lynx took a deep breath, counted to three, and darted from cover, firing wildly at the other side, who once again retreated into cover. Sky raced for the bridge, stowing his revolver away and grasping one of the ropes that ran the length of it before hopping off the edge. Then, he was sliding, with more bullets whizzing past his ears. One even tore through the loose fabric of his jacket, causing him to yelp and momentarily let go as he plummeted for the river below, still on fire. He regained control after his mini heart attack and looked back up.

"Oh my gooooo-!" he began screaming as he saw the flames beginning to burn the last anchors. He could feel the robe rattling in his hands. The snapping noises grew in intensity. Just a little further! Just a little-!

His whole world seemed to move in slow motion. He could no longer feel the tautness of the rope as the anchors themselves collapsed. He was weightless, falling backwards, arms uselessly grasping the air, and on fire. The rest of the bridge began following after him. Was this it? Was this where he died?! On some unknown island in the middle of nowhere, fighting for a useless ring that in the end would be worth nothing? He could hear himself screaming at the top of his lungs, but it sounded so detached and far away that he could have sworn it was someone else's voice. Just how far was he from the water-?

Darkness.

He didn't know how long he'd been out, but when he came to, he was aware of someone's arm wrapped around his torso in a death grip. He was cold, and there was a loud roaring in his ears.

"…KY!" a muffled voice shouted in the distance. He slowly blinked his eyes open and immediately shut them again from the blinding sunlight. He needed to sleep. Just take a quick nap. That would be nice. His head hurt like hell. His _everything_ hurt like hell. Just… Needed… Some… Rest…

"SKY!" The voice called out once more, this time clear as day and right next to him. His eyes snapped open as he began to recall where he was and what he was doing there began rushing back to him. He twisted and jerked around in the grip of the unknown speaker, but calmed when he saw it was Jax, pulling him through the river. They'd exited the canyon and were now in the middle of a lush jungle.

"…Jax?" Sky mumbled in confusion. Jax glanced around frantically and shook the lynx some more.

"Sky, wake the hell up! They're still after us! We gotta get back to our planes and get out of here!" hissed the lizard urgently. Sky shook his head, trying to get rid of the disorienting headache he was experiencing.

"…Planes?" He asked, then took a breath. "Right. Planes. Escape."

"Jesus, you got knocked _out!_ Can you swim?" Jax asked, quirking an eyebrow. Sky nodded and was released. He began stroking along with his friend, their heavy aviator clothing making the task difficult as the cool water soaked them to the bone. They followed the river to the shore of the small island, where they dragged themselves onto the warm sands of the beach. The sand clung to their clothes and got into Sky's fur, but they didn't care. But they had no time to rest. They needed to be in the air before the pirates found their planes and destroyed them. They were far enough away from any major shipping lanes that it could be weeks before anyone found them. So they took off jogging down the beach, using the large, central mountain at the center of the island as a landmark to guide them. The pirates' ship was on the opposite side from them, and their planes were straight ahead, hidden as best as they could manage. They kept an eye out for the pirate crew, who to the best of their knowledge, were still hunting them. The pilots possessed the only treasure of any real value on the island, and they wouldn't just let them walk out of here with it.

For the most part, they didn't see anyone. Occasionally they could hear one of the search parties call out in the distance, but they seemed to be searching the mouth of the river and its surrounding shores.

"Crap! Hide!" Sky hissed when he saw a group of five well-armed pirates come ambling along from far down the beach. They seemed inattentive, so the duo had a chance to creep into the jungle and go prone in the undergrowth. Now they could add mud and leaves to the growing list of stuff that they'd have to wash out of their clothes! They lay still as the sounds of footsteps got steadily louder, until the search party was moving right past them, a mere five feet away. As the robots passed, Sky and Jax could hear their conversation.

"…I say we just leave them. Whatever this ring be worth, it pales in comparison to what we'll be paid fer-!"

"Oi, shut up ye blunderin' fool! The cap'n jus wants some insurance! We be plannin' an attack on the crown itself! It's bound to go awry! Now shut up and keep yer eyes peeled."

The two pilots held their breath as they waited for the pirates to move away. They sat in silence, pondering those words. When they were sure their pursuers were gone, Sky looked to Jax with wide eyes.

"Did you hear-?"

"Yeah, I know, they're going to try attacking your girlfriend. She's rich. What else is new?" the lizard grumbled quietly as they picked themselves up and began running down the beach again. Sky growled lowly. The princess was _not_ his girlfriend! Just… one of the most beautiful and majestic creatures he'd ever encountered. She often brushed him aside in what little interactions they'd had over the past couple of years, but that never stopped him from trying. Flowers, compliments, the whole nine yards. She'd have none of it. In fact, it made her angry more than anything, and more than once she'd threatened him with jail time. But Sky loved it when her majesty was angry. She had a fiery- no pun intended- disposition about her that made her stand out from the standard fare. Sky knew from experience that Blaze could handle a couple of run-of-the-mill pirates no problem, but from what he'd heard, it sounded like they were being paid off by someone or something much bigger. It wouldn't hurt to swing by at least, whatever good that would do. Last time she'd set his scarf on fire, but now with this supposedly fireproof ring, that wouldn't be an issue hopefully.

Off to the right, out at sea, they could see a lone rock with a ruined old ship nestled against it. That was their landmark. Turning an immediate left to where two palm trees made an archway at the edge of the jungle, Jax and Sky began pulling away preplaced brush that they'd used to conceal their ride out of here: The _Ace of Spades_ and the _Temptress_. Two beat up old biplanes with single nose-mounted machine guns, belonging to Sky and Jax respectively. The two aircrafts shared much in common. Their fuselages were riddled with bullet holes and burn marks from many aerial battles and hectic escapes, with little spots of rust here and there from so much time spent in the salty sea air. The _Ace of Spades_ was colored a dark, shiny black, with white spades on the edges of the wings, while the _Temptress_ was a rich cream color, its only decoration being a scantily-clad female lizard painted on the sides of the body. A pilot's plane was like a sailor's ship. They each had a unique name and design that spoke volumes about the owner. Sky loved gambling, Jax was kind of a horndog, and etcetera.

"Help me push this!" Jax hissed, standing behind one of the wings. Sky nodded and ran to the other side, where the proceeded to heave the biplane out onto the sand. No need to make any more noise than they needed until they were set to go. They ran back to the _Ace of Spades_ and began doing the same, but they had only pushed it halfway out when the boom of a cannon rang through the air.

"Get down!" Sky yelled, but before the two could dive away, the cannonball impacted right in front of the plane, sending a plume of dirt and sand high into the air, and both pilots hurling away from the blast. The impact sent a spike of pain through Sky's already injured body, but now his adrenaline was surging, and he was able to shake off the impact, roll over on his stomach, and draw his pistol. About seventy-five yards down the beach, it seemed like the entirety of the pirate crew- about twenty in all- had finally regrouped and figured out where they'd run to. Sky took careful aim and proceeded to fire off six shots.

 ** _BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!_**

 ** _BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!_**

Three pirates fell. The rest, including their captain, rushed into the tree line to take cover. Shots began ringing out in the air beneath the hot tropical sun, and Sky rolled himself like a log back towards the plane, feeling shots impacting the dirt around him. He skirted beneath the fuselage and found Jax already there, heaving the machine with all his might.

"I've got this," he shouted over the chaos. Sky flicked open the cylinder of his revolver, letting the hot brass fall to the sand, and began fumbling in his front pockets for more ammo. "You keep them off us!"

"Got it- HEY! STOP PUTTING HOLES IN MY PLANE, ASSHOLES!" Sky roared, feeling his heart and funds sinking with each loud clank that signified another bullet ruining his aircraft. This ring had better be worth it! The lynx popped up, using the top of the plane to steady himself, moving in sync with Jax, and shot another pirate. The cannon resounded again, sending a cold chill through his spine. The cannonball sailed through the trees, knocking down several smaller ones, and buzzed right over the tail of the plane. It continued down the beach, where it created another plume of dirt and debris.

They had to get rid of that thing! It could destroy their rides with no effort! Where the hell was that captain?!

"Destroy the planes! Don' let 'em leave!" He heard the large robot howl just as a group of seven, followed by the captain himself, came rushing out of the undergrowth some twenty-five yards away. It was a smart move. The two pilots were armed with simple revolvers. There was no way they could get them all when they rushed.

"JAX!" Sky yelled in utter terror.

"WHAT?!"

"GUN!" Sky ordered frantically, reaching his left hand behind him whilst firing haphazardly with his right. He heard a squeak of surprise behind him, and moments later he felt the weight of the other revolver in his hand. He leveled both guns on the advancing mob and began firing in quick succession. Two pirates fell, holes blasted straight through their torsos, but the others scattered and began weaving back and forth to try and avoid the lynx's shots. The captain raised his cannon, now at point blank range. The pirates were upon them, ready to move in and finish the job if the next heavy hit didn't do it. At that moment, Sky was dead sure that this would be the moment he died. Then, there was an explosion.

Everything went dark, the only noise being the hellish ringing in his ears that quickly faded to nothingness.

Once more, he found himself lying in the sand, face buried. He could feel a sharp pain on his right shoulder, and the foul flavor of dirt and grit on his tongue. He used his arms to push himself up, and immediately regretted it. A burning sensation flashed through his shoulder, and with a yelp he fell right back down. He blindly felt that area of his body and felt a flat, solid object protruding from his jacket. When he brought the hand back in front of his face, he found his palm was covered with blood. The air was still and quiet. Once he came to his senses, Sky shook himself and scrambled to his feet, peeking over the tail of the plane. The bots were scattered about on the beach, many missing limbs, some completely destroyed. In reality, losing a limb wasn't as big of a deal for a robot, so they could still be considered threats. But at the center of the explosion lay whatever remained of the captain, which wasn't much. That's when the lynx put two and two together and realized that one of his hasty, unfocussed shots must have traveled straight into the captain's weapon and struck the explosive shell within. Of all the improbable-!

"Jax, get in the air! Hurry!" Sky hissed at the lizard, who dusted himself off and began sprinting for the _Temptress_. Sky looked back and saw that the pirates were already recovering. One of the few who survived the blast started to pick himself up, and Sky put a bullet right through his metal head.

"Argh! The captain be dead!" an enraged voice roared from down the beach where the rest of the party lay in waiting. A low rumbling was picked up in the air, growing in intensity. It reached its full intensity when upwards of twenty pirates came charging out of the jungle, all howling madly for the pilots' blood. The _Temptress_ fired up with several loud bangs. Jax wasted no time in gunning the throttle and racing down the beach. Sky was alone now, with an injured shoulder, two guns, and not nearly enough ammunition to take them on.

"Alright! Okay?! Y'all wanna play it like that?! Come and get it!" Sky tried to yell in the manliest, action-movie voice he could muster. Unfortunately, it sounded very uncertain. In fact, Sky only had the courage to fire off three or four more shots before tossing Jax's gun in the back seat of his plane and scrambling into the cockpit. His wound burned like hell, but the fear of being impaled on the end of a pirate's sword drove him on. With his left hand, he began madly hitting switches to start the engine, and with his other arm, unable to rise to full height, he fired off the rest of his cylinder without bothering to aim. It was more a desperate response than anything else.

 _POP!_ The _Ace of Spades'_ engine made a weak effort to spin up. Sky cursed and craned his neck to see a few sizeable bullet holes where the engine sat ahead of the pilot. Then, he looked right, and saw the pirates right on top of him, their battle-cries becoming deafening. A high-pitched buzz began increasing in volume from somewhere off in the distance, but Sky didn't really pay it any mind. More focused on the pirates, all things considered!

"Come on, old girl! You've been through worse!" He screamed and slammed his fist down on the console. The engine whined in protest and banged once more, and pungent, black smoke began billowing out of the compartment. Here he was, an underpaid, unknown pilot on some god-forsaken island, covered from head to toe in dirt and grime, with a piece of metal in his shoulder, an empty gun, and a horde of violent murderers getting closer by the second. That just about summed up his luck so far in life. He let out an odd mixture between a laugh and a sigh and leaned back in his seat, watching the pirates move in. If this was the end, might as well give it his all he thought as he began trying to hoist himself out of the cockpit.

"Damn… Bring it on! I'm not gonna make it easy-!"

The buzzing was now louder than the pirates. A rhythmic cracking filled the air, obviously from a machine gun. Instinctively, Sky ducked forward into his cockpit. He heard the horde of killers begin screaming, not in outrage, but in terror. Looking back up, he watched the robots scattering as lead rained from the sky. Jax didn't let up, holding down the trigger with a white-knuckle grip and only leveling out at the last moment. He buzzed right over their heads and took off again into the sky, readying himself for another pass. Sky's hopes of survival shot up ten-fold in that moment, and with a woop he quickly resumed trying to start the plane. He gripped the key and twisted it with all his might, ignoring the plane's protests and uninspiring noises until finally, the aircraft began to vibrate and hum lowly, the winds from the prop driving away the acrid smoke.

Sky cheered with all his might and pushed the throttle forward. The _Ace of Spades_ lurched forward and began pulling itself desperately through the sand. Sky brought the plane around to face away from the pirates, and as soon as he was sure he had a straight run at it, gunned the throttle. The engine roared to full power, and he felt himself being pressed into his seat. Not bothering to check his airspeed, he made a wild guess at it and pulled back on the stick. Against all odds, the biplane soared skywards, occasionally rattling from the damage suffered. The plane was still fighting him, but it was flying. Behind him, Jax made another pass at the robots, further thinning their ranks. When the lizard caught up and lined up on his wing, the pilots brought their planes around towards the center of the island, heading due northwest, towards home. They came up over the mountain, looking back down at the ravine they'd been in not minutes before. The flames still raged in the tunnel that lead to the treasure room. Beyond the summit, the terrain dropped down into more jungle for about a mile, where there was another beach, then the open ocean. Just off the coast sat a large monstrosity of metal and wood that passed as the pirates' ship. Sky looked over to Jax and grinned. The lizard returned his smug gesture.

Might as well make it difficult to follow them.

They soared higher for a moment before pushing forward on their sticks and lining up for a run on the ship. What few pirates remained saw them, and before they knew it they were weaving and dodging ground fire. But it was too late. Both planes opened up with their machine guns. The sound never sounded so good to Sky, who felt each shot rattle the airframe. Their bullets bounced off the thick armor plating of the hull but tore through the skeleton crew and the wooden decks, penetrating deep into the bowels of the vessel. It was weird, the lynx thought. Usually, most pirate crews placed their ammunition storage near the bow-.

 _ **KABOOM!**_

A hellish geyser of smoke and fire erupted from below decks, sending bots and metal and other debris hurling every which way. Based on a rough estimate, Sky could see that the ship was probably still in operation, but barely. That would be enough. The anti-air fire ceased as the survivors rushed to scoop up the wounded and douse the flames. They shook their fists angrily and screamed insults that fell on deaf ears as the two pilots raced by, gaining altitude once more before disappearing over the horizon.

 _ **XXX**_

 _ **Like I said: Average, everyday hooliganism! Days like that had become pretty par for the course over the past couple years. On a planet with no continents, it's only natural that sea travel would be the go-to way to get supplies and people where they needed to go. Of course, this means piracy, but until about four years ago it was manageable, you know? As long as you stuck to the main routes, kept your wits about you, and didn't stop for hitchhikers, the seas were relatively safe. We could always count on the princess and the military to keep things in line. Then, rumor had it that the princess' "sol emeralds" got scattered about the multiverse, or something, so she had to divide her attention between running a kingdom and searching for the emeralds. Apparently, these little rocks were responsible for keeping our whole universe intact, so you know, I don't really hold any ill will towards her. But because she was gone, the pirates and that crazy scientist Nega began growing braver by the day.**_

 _ **With the military scattered to thin, life became hell for the innocent people of our world. Entire villages being raided and taken over in broad daylight, pirates riding around openly displaying their flags, it was a nightmare! So, to avoid the seas, we took to the skies. One of the princess' close friends, some genius tech-wiz fox-kid, lent us some designs which lead to the mass production of airships, fighter planes, and other wonderous flying machines. Many islands cleared land for runways, and people felt confident trading and travelling again in their zeppelins. Of course, there was still the danger of being shot down from below and having your cargo raided when you crashed, but that problem was remedied by us; those brave young men and women who strapped ourselves into our biplanes, seeking our fame and fortune in the air. We escorted airships, breaking off and distracting the pirates long enough for the others to slink by. Some of us actively took up bounties and hunted down some of the more troublesome criminals. Some, like me, simply moved from place to place, doing good where we could, raising hell, and occasionally running into trouble with the law. Nothing too serious, but there were definitely some places I would never want to hang around longer than I had to.**_

 _ **One of such places was the royal archipelago. It was the largest concentration of islands on the planet, and as the name suggested, home to the princess' palace and several key military installations.**_

 _ **Unfortunately, that's exactly where we were headed…**_

 _ **XXX**_

 _ **Author's Note: Thanks for sticking around this far! It means a lot! This story is based off Sky the Lynx, on Mobius Roleplay. You can find his picture and bio there!**_

 _ **It's a chat-based Sonic rp that's a lot of fun! Anyways, if you have anything you'd like to say, feel free to leave a comment. I'm always open to constructive criticism, or even just a good compliment to satisfy my ego. Stay tuned!**_


	2. Chapter 2

… _ **It was getting late by the time we reached the expansive collection of islands that, for all intents and purposes, was the center of the Sol Kingdom. It was always an astonishing sight, especially for someone like me who'd grown up on one of the smaller island chains at the edge of the map. Since it was nearly nighttime, Jax and I decided to rest up for the night by stopping by our favorite watering hole and trying not to squander all our money on drinks and gambling. My friend wasn't that interested in meeting the princess, so I was basically alone in that task. But that could wait, at least until after I got some food and scrubbed all this crap out of my fur…**_

 _ **XXX**_

The sun was halfway over the horizon to the west, turning the sky a bloody red and making the waves below sparkle like a priceless gem. Directly ahead, Sky could see the welcoming lights of civilization. Massive airships ambled through the air above, and ships of all shapes and sizes crisscrossed in the harbors below going about their business. Occasionally another plane or two would zoom by in the opposite direction, heading out into the great unknown. A few of them were other pilots that Jax and Sky knew, and they would exchange smiles and waves, followed by quick greetings over the radio. A warm sense of peace and calm washed over the young lynx. The whole way over, as they raced through the outskirts of the kingdom, they were on constant alert for attack from below. Such were the times. But here the pirates would be insane to try anything. Or maybe not, Sky grumbled internally, remembering his reason for coming here.

He wasn't worried. He would march up into that castle, awe the princess with his tails of adventure and bravery, and impress her with his dedication at having flown straight to her to defend the good people of the kingdom. She would be amazed and flattered! She would swoon into his arms and-!

" _Inbound aircraft, please adjust course two degrees for outbound traffic."_ A woman's dull, monotone voice droned through his headset. It snapped Sky out of his daydream, which annoyed him to no end. But none the less the two pilots listed to the right, gliding smoothly around an airship with full fighter escort. A few minutes later, they came upon the landing strip of the newly-constructed airfield, which took up a sizeable portion of one of the larger islands and even merged with a military base.

That, Sky thought, would be a minor issue. Remember how he'd said there were places he'd rather avoid due to his previous escapades? That was a big reason he usually stuck to the smaller, outlying islands. No security to check incoming and outgoing flights. But it was too late, as they were already being ushered down, and holding up the line would only make things worse. He needed to relax and play it cool. If he could handle bloodthirsty pirates, he could handle a few bored, inattentive guards.

Jax and Sky touched down on the tarmac, gently slowing themselves and hearing the screech of their tires from the friction. They were guided by uniformed men waving glowing batons to the general hangar, a massive building that could house over fifty aircraft. It wasn't as fancy as the private hangars, which required a monthly fee and included service and a mini-apartment, but it was free. They pulled up into two empty spots, their planes rattled with bullet holes and shrapnel. A few others shared the same marks, some didn't. Not every piloting job was dangerous.

Sky yawned and leaned back in his seat as he shut down the engine, simply taking a moment to readjust after being used to the loud drone of the prop for the past several hours. Then, with a stretch that soothed his stiff muscles, he hoisted himself up and out of the cockpit. He had to be careful about using his right arm with his injury, but he got to the ground alright. He waited for Jax to do the same, and the pair dragged themselves to the main office, where they would be processed and allowed to enter the country.

"Oh crap. Sky, I just remembered. Don't you have a warrant here? For that time when you-?"

"Yeah, I know." Sky interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. He didn't like to talk about that "incident", which had become something of an urban legend amongst the locals. He wouldn't reveal too much, but suffice to say that one night, he'd had had a little too much to drink, and that it had included a troupe of travelling circus clowns, a stampede of cattle, some cross-dressing, and the largest bar brawl in history. He still had nightmares about that evening.

"Just… follow my lead. We'll get the lay of the land and think of our options." The lynx muttered as the throngs of people began thickening as they approached the massive gates that lead to the bustling village beyond. Off to the sides were several windows where one would have to show identification, with small lines of haggard-looking aviators and civilians shuffling about as they awaited their turn. All around were small groups of people chatting and laughing in casual conversation. The two hooligans stopped at the edge of all this, keeping out of the way, and not daring to make eye contact with the large, musclebound bears in camouflaged uniforms who scanned the room vigilantly from various posts. They were the military guards of the kingdom. Best to avoid them. Thing was, they were lined up at the gates, ensuring no one could slip by undetected. And right there, at each of the windows, was a poster of the lynx sporting his signature cocky grin and holding his revolver. In plain, bold letters, it said "WANTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE CROWN!".

"…Er, Sky? We're a little outmatched here." Jax whispered nervously, shifting a little on the spot. Sky looked at the guards and growled. Yes, this would be a little tough. He was honestly lost for ideas. He even considered the possibility of turning himself in. That would at least get him closer to the princess. But knowing their relationship- if you could even call it that- she would probably just ignore him and let him rot in his cell without bothering to visit. That was a definite "no".

"…Sort of reminds me of that gag we pulled a couple months back." The lizard beside him chuckled as he leaned back against the concrete pillar. They'd been in a situation like this before, only last time it had been pirates. It was a backwater little seaport on the small island of Canabri. The duo had run afoul of several pirates and needed to escape before they were gutted like fish. Problem was, they had been guarding the docks to try and prevent their escape. Sky felt himself grin as he fondly remembered the elaborate escape plan they'd hatched. Sky was silent for a few moments before the realization hit him. His eyes widened, and he looked at Jax.

"Thinking what I'm thinking?" asked the lynx. Thankfully, Jax _was_ in fact thinking what he was thinking. A classic game of divide and conquer. The lizard smirked and shrugged.

"I'll go distract the receptionist." He sighed and casually began strolling for the line closest to the gate. Sky would have a few minutes to prepare before Jax was in position, so he set out for phase one of the plan. Way off to the side of the crowds were several crates of supplies and a small maintenance area, only attended by a single, fat mechanic who seemed too distracted by the engine he was tinkering with to pay much attention. Sky skirted around the throngs of people to this area and ducked himself behind a pile of crates. He peered around the edge and across the space to Jax, who only had three people in front of him before it would be his turn to display his passport. Sky took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. He was right on schedule, and this scheme would go off without a hitch if he kept his wits about him and worked fast.

The mechanic, a fat, old gorilla in a pair of overalls, was hunched over an engine that had been lifted out of a plane. His back was turned, and he was whistling a tune loud enough to mask the small thuds of Sky's heavy, leather boots as the lynx crept up from behind. Right by the mechanic's foot was a rusty fuel can that would serve the pilot's purposes. Sky was directly behind the larger man, low to the floor and holding his breath. One wrong move, and this whole thing would be over before it started! Sky inched his hand forward, lightly wrapping his fingers around the handle of the container. As soon as he did so, the gorilla flinched, and Sky's heartrate skyrocketed. He stared at the large man's back, eyes wide and ears flattened nervously against his skull, as he waited to see what the mechanic would do next.

" _ACHOO!"_ the older man sneezed suddenly, causing Sky to jump. He wiped his nose in his arm, but never removed his gaze from his work. Then, he resumed his whistling, and Sky gulped and released his pent-up breath quietly. The lynx slowly scooped up the fuel can and slinked back to the crates, where he took a moment to breathe and ready himself for step two. He unscrewed the cap and began looking around for something that would burn well. He saw it. It was a gorgeous, gleaming triplane of the brightest red. On the sides were the family coat of arms of one guy that Sky hated more than the pirates he faced on a regular basis: Tiberius the Tiger.

Tiberius was considered one of the greatest flying aces in the world. He was some rich daddy's-boy from one of the largest, most wealthy families in the kingdom. The ladies wanted him, the guys wanted to _be_ him. He was tall, handsome, charming, and had many stories of escorting airships across the seas, bravely facing down pirates. Sky knew differently, though. Mommy and daddy had bought that plane. Tiberius had never had to work or get into any _real_ danger to feed himself. Sky knew for a _fact_ that the reason that the tiger's plane was so pristine was that he'd only ever stuck to the well-defended shipping lanes and had never been in a fight where the odds weren't stacked in his favor.

To top it all off, Tiberius was a goody two-shoes who looked down his nose at "outlaw" pilots like Sky, who went out and forged their own path. To put it mildly: he was a massive _dick_.

That's why Sky had no issues climbing onto the wing and dousing the inside of the cockpit with gasoline. Once the can was empty, Sky set it down on the ground and pulled out his lighter. He flicked it open, looked around to make sure no one was watching, then with a deep breath and a mischievous grin, flicked the flint wheel and edged the flame towards the edge of the cockpit.

 _ **WHOOM!**_

The inside of the vehicle ignited with a mighty roar, causing Sky to stumble back and cover his eyes from the intense light. However, it seemed that the ring was still doing its job, as he felt virtually no heat. Maybe this thing would be worth something, he mused. The lynx quickly staggered to his feet and took one look to ensure his work was a success. Step two completed!

Sky moved low and quick, weaving in and out of the various airplanes as he heard shouts from the crowds at the front of the hangar. He peered over the fuselage of a plane to see about half of the guards running to the right, towards the flames. He cackled quietly and pumped his fist in triumph. Jax, who was standing at the window now, looked at the flames and feigned shock. The lizard, however, knew exactly who had caused that fire, and couldn't help but smirk at how well the plan was going so far. People all around were starring and pointing, even the government employees behind the glass.

Time for step three.

Sky casually waltzed out of the lines of aircrafts and into the crowds, looking for an ideal candidate for step three of his "divide and conquer" scheme. It didn't take long before said candidate found _him_.

A muscular, blue-eyed tiger who stood almost an entire head above Sky sniffed the air a few times as the lynx weaved his way through the masses. Sky still smelled of sweat and the pungent oil from the temple, and more than a few people wrinkled their noses at him.

"Sky the Lynx! I thought I smelled something!" said a boisterous, cocky voice from Sky's right. Sky immediately recognized it and froze. Oh, for the love of god! He didn't need to see _this_ guy right now! Slowly, Sky swiveled and looked up at the tiger, who stood with his arms crossed in a small group of pilots. He was dressed in immaculate, unsullied clothing. It fit him perfectly, unlike Sky's second-hand rags. He was tall, he was fit, he was handsome, while Sky was average at best, probably needed to lay off the alcohol and junk food and had scruffy fur and childish looks. He was perfect- the epitome of everything Sky secretly wished he could be. He wore the same smug little grin he always wore when the two met. He was Tiberius the Tiger.

"…Sup?" Sky asked half-heartedly, trying his best to fake a smile and failing. Their eyes moved to the simple, silver ring on one of his gloved fingers. They exchanged looks, and Sky could sense that they were preparing a new string of insults for him. Never mind, he suddenly thought. These assholes would be perfect for step three.

"Oh, nothing much," the tiger replied casually, his grin growing. "Me and the boys here just got back from a supply run to Sangrine. Got paid a hefty sum for the job and to kill some pirates too."

His cronies chuckled and nodded in agreement. Sky resisted the urge to roll his eyes. At most, it had been the six of them versus a small dinghy, and nothing compared to the hell he'd experienced in the temple. Talk about a showoff.

"That's cool." Sky agreed with a deadpan look. "I just got back as well-."

"Is that where that ring came from?" Tiberius interrupted, stepping forward, his friends doing the same. Sky's eyes narrowed, and he slipped the ringed hand into a pocket to protect it. He never broke eye contact with the tiger, then nodded slowly. They began laughing obnoxiously.

"You went through all that trouble for _that?!"_ asked an orange cat from Tiberius' left shoulder.

"It doesn't even look like it's worth that much!" another chimed in. Tiberius smirked, sensing the odds in his favor, and went in for the kill.

"Guys, guys, calm down! Some pilots just aren't as good as others. They don't get sweet gigs like ours. They have to take what they can get." He said loudly, the insult hidden within his words. Sky felt it, and barely managed to contain his rage. "Sky here is doing everything he can to get his meager scraps! Look at the poor thing, covered in shit, with the only think of value he'll ever have in his life! Lord knows his plane is a piece of junk."

Sky's ears had flattened fully to his head, and he balled his fists, just trying not to pounce or- in the mood he was feeling- pulling his gun and wasting the pompous bastard. No one insulted a pilot's plane! It was the foulest, most low-hitting insult one could give in their culture!

"Yeah, well at least mine's not on fire!" Sky snapped without thinking, instantly regretting his words as he watched Tiberius quirk an eyebrow and whirl around to see the source of all this chaos. Sky thought of running, but it was too late. Tiberius had turned around, the much larger and athletic man tensing up to fight, and his friends doing the same. Screw it, Sky thought, in for a penny…!

The Lynx smiled sweetly and pulled out his lighter, twirling the little chrome device in his fingers. That just about sent the tiger over the edge.

"You little shit!" Tiberius roared and swung one of his massive fists with all of his might. Sky was easily able to duck the punch. Tiberius was known for his exploits in competitive fighting, but right now he was distracted and angry. The fist sailed through where Sky's snout had been moments ago and struck another pilot on the side of the head, sending him down. The poor man had unwittingly been a key part of step three. The other pilot's friends whirled around and yelled obscenities at Tiberius' friends, and two others helped their comrade back to his feet. Sky was still crouched down between the two parties.

He looked back up to Tiberius with a smug grin and gave a little wave.

"See ya!" said the lynx quietly before darting off into the crowd. That was the trigger of a massive brawl that spread like the flames on the other end of the hangar, and successfully drew away the remaining guards. Sky moved fluidly through the throngs of confused people towards where Jax was still chatting up the cute bunny customs agent, who seemed enraptured by the tale he was telling her.

"…Really, I'm being serious! There we were, with flames on one side, and murderous pirates on the other! They destroyed the bridge, and my friend was all scared like 'w-what do we do?!'. Then, I took a moment to think, and I braved the flames to cover him while he climbed to safety." Said Jax, impersonating Sky with an overtly-feminine, childish tone.

"Wow…" the bunny sighed, starring deeply into the lizard's silver eyes, as many girls had. "…You flyboys always risk so much for us. Do you have anyone to come back to when you're not up in the sky?"

"Well, actually-." Jax mused. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the shadow of Sky slinking through the gate unnoticed. Someone in the distance called out for the lynx to stop, but his friend took off running into the bustling thoroughfare of the city beyond. Jax looked back down at the bunny. "-yes! She's probably worried sick right about now, so if you wouldn't mind…?"

The bunny's look of awe and want faded into a half-disappointed frown. But none the less, she stamped the passport and wished him a good day. Jax thanked her and headed out after his friend. He found him several minutes later, tucked away in an alley. When they made eye-contact, the two were silent for a few seconds before erupting into laughter.

"Works like a charm!" Sky sighed after wiping a tear from his eye.

"To the pub!" Jax cheered, and the two set out to the docks, where they would catch a ferry to one of the other islands in the chain.

About two hours later, both Sky and Jax felt their spirits rising to great heights as they scarfed down hot food and washed it back with cold beer. They smoked cigars, played cards, and generally had a great time, all while still covered from head-to-toe in filth. This particular pub was one of the shadier ones on the archipelago. It sat in a rather rough little neighborhood. Its oak paneling was just a little bit rotted, its lights were dimmed, and less-than-legal dealings constantly took place in the shadows. But it was cheap, and the drinks were decent. Many like Sky frequented it, looking for work, or just a place to relax. The other patrons gave them strange looks and wrinkled their noses, but they didn't care. This, Sky thought, was the greatest part of any of their adventures.

 _ **XXX**_

Princess Blaze was _furious!_ And that was putting it mildly! She'd thought her troubles over when she'd managed to recover the last of the sol emeralds, but _no!_ It was always something! While she'd been out trying to save reality itself, piracy had run rampant, endangering her people. She felt immensely guilty about that fact, but she felt blinding, fiery rage more than anything else. Thankfully, she had her friends here to help her contain this mess. The work they'd done over the past year or so had been slow, but there was progress. Not to say there weren't hiccups in their plan.

Some of her kingdom had decided to take matters into their own hands. The introduction of airplanes to the populace had been meant as a way to circumvent the pirates, but some used it as an opportunity to foolishly endanger themselves as they set out as vigilantes in the skies. These outlaws thought they were heroes, but never stopped to think about the consequences of their actions! They would recklessly charge into battle, causing untold property damage, and most of the time meet horrible ends at the hands of the pirates that would cause more grief to anyone they were close to. They would drink, start fights, and only follow the laws they deemed worthy!

One such misfit was that damned Sky the Lynx! That idiotic, cocky pilot! He was one of the worst offenders! In the past few years, he'd been responsible for so much wanton destruction. Mostly out on the fringes of the kingdom, but even just last year he'd made his mark on her home. It was never clear what had happened that night, only that it had involved a stampede in one of the agricultural sectors, several angry, hospitalized circus performers, reports of burglary at a high-end women's boutique, and a full-on riot which the local journalists had been gracious enough to call a bar-fight!

Sky, that imbecile! As if he weren't bad enough, he had the gall to try and put "the moves" on her! She was fed up with the constant bombardment of flowers, candy, love-notes, and other trash that somehow made its way to her. Did he think this was some sort of game?! Did he not realize how much grief he caused her with his supposed feats of "bravery"?!

When she'd gotten a report of fires and fistfights breaking out at the airport, she knew _just_ who had been responsible. Only one person could cause so much trouble without even getting in through the door! What's more, she knew _just_ where he would go! She'd told her friends and guards to stay back at the castle. She wanted to handle this personally and get this annoying insect out of her hair once and for all.

Her heels clicked silently on the cobblestone road that lead through the center of this less-developed part of her home islands. She knew this was a center of crime, but the criminals that resided here were smart, able to evade the crown right under their noses. There was only so much they could do. Civilians all around bowed and whispered as their princess strode past, on a mission. Her destination was up ahead and to the right. It was a rundown little bar that sat tucked away from the other buildings around it. Such a trashy place, fitting for such a trashy man like Sky the Lynx.

As she neared the bar, she saw several of her guards closing in on the front doors. Riotous yelling and crashing reached her ears, causing her to furrow her brow in confusion.

"Your majesty, we've received reports of a fight. Nothing major." One of the bears explained as she approached, all of them giving a respectful bow. Blaze rolled her eyes. Of course! He wasn't even here for _one minute-!_

 _ **CRASH!**_

The princess and her guards quickly looked to the right to see a dark, person-sized shape hurl through one of the glass windows that lined the front of the establishment. The man rolled a little before stopping, lying spread-eagle on the ground with his face towards the sky. Blaze and her guards crept towards the figure, and a pungent smell hit their noses.

Blaze blinked a little in surprise. He was beat up, his clothes were ruined, and he bled profusely from his mouth and several cuts from the windowpane. But there was no doubt as she came to a stop right over his barely-conscious form. It was him. Dear god, what was he covered in?! It smelled like Eggman after running a marathon through a landfill! She felt herself gagging and pinched her nose to keep from losing her dinner.

As bad as it was, she'd expected this task to be more difficult. Sky was a scoundrel who could find his way out of anything. To find him neatly wrapped up like this for her was a definite positive.

More guards approached from their patrols. She ordered several of them to get into the bar and stop the fighting. She heard a low groan from bellow and glared back down at Sky, who gave her a little wave and smile, his teeth stained red with blood, before passing out like a light.

What a pig.

She called over several more guards.

"Take him directly to the castle. Keep him under constant guard. Ignore everything he says, and do _not_ , under any circumstances, let him near a plane." She ordered. They nodded and began scrapping the lynx off the road, retching from the stench. "And _please_ give him a shower!"

She couldn't question him with that nauseating smell distracting her.

 _ **XXX**_

Several minutes earlier, Sky and Jax had finished their meals and were now simply lounging around the quiet pub, listening to the low music playing in the background over the sounds of conversation. They sat in two spacious arm chairs, across from an old, grizzled falcon wearing an apron and an eyepatch. He was the owner of the bar- an old veteran of the royal military and good friend of the two hooligans. He always seemed to have a lead on where to find work, and connections to several unnamed characters who would buy the small treasures the pilots would occasionally bring in from beyond. More so, the man had given the two their first flying contract and acted as a quasi-mentor to them when they'd first shown up in his bar, two idiot kids with second-hand, beat up planes and dreams of glory and fame. Sky and Jax owed this man a great deal, for without him they would surely be dead. He'd taught them basic things like navigation, how to shoot, how to throw a good punch, first aid, and a few other tricks from his days in the service.

Likewise, the old falcon had a special place in his heart for the two boys. When he'd first met them, he'd seen something that was absent in most of the outcasts and drunkards that usually filled his bar: ambition and a good fighting spirit. No one had that these days, it seemed. Everyone was usually just content with their station and never dared to try and move up in the world. So, he was always willing to lend a hand and give advice, if anything so that the duo wouldn't end up like him- a salty, old bird wasting away his golden years running a bar.

"…And yeah, that's basically it." Sky explained with a shrug, kicking up his feet on the coffee table. He'd forgotten rule number two of Mr. Wolman's pub, which was to keep one's filthy boots off the furniture. Former Captain James Wolman glared at the lynx and was only satisfied when the boy muttered an apology and placed his feet back on the floor. The falcon held out his hand and sighed wearily.

"That's a great story and all, but for the love of god, that's probably the most bone-headed thing you little shits have done so far," the falcon growled. He wasn't really angry. More like a disappointed father who didn't want to see his sons killed. "Let me see that ring. It had better be worth something, at least. I know you claim it protects against fire, but stuff like that isn't really that rare."

Sky slipped the ring off his finger and passed it over. The falcon took it between two fingers and squinted at it, turning it over in his grip to make an educated guess at its value. As far as he could tell, it was just a plain-old silver ring. No gems embedded in it, no fancy markings, nothing that would make it indistinguishable from any other old lump of silver. He looked to Jax and Sky with a deadpan look.

"…Well, would you look at that," he feigned surprise, and the two pilots leaned in in anticipation. "It's completely worthless. Best you'll get for it is a night at a fancy hotel."

Their hopes fell, and Wolman felt just a little guilty- just a little. But he wanted to drive home the point; always do as much research as you can into a find before setting out. If you didn't there was a good chance you'd die for nothing.

"Well, alright. We'll cut our losses here. But can you sell it?" Jax asked. Sky's ears perked up again, and the lynx took a puff of his cigar. The old falcon raised an eyebrow.

"Those'll kill you faster than the pirates- ugh, forget it, you're just going to keep doing it," Wolman sighed. "Anyway- yes, I can sell it. Won't be difficult. Always someone looking for a good piece of jewelry."

Out of curiosity, he slipped the ring onto his bare fingers to see how it fit. It would definitely be a good piece for a man with beefier fingers, he mused. It didn't cut and scrape at the edges, so that was good too. Yes, he definitely could sell it. Suddenly, the falcon paused. He felt something on the inside of the ring rubbing against his feathery finger. Had he missed something during his initial inspection?

Once more, he pulled the ring off and gave it a close look around the inside of the band. He knew he wasn't crazy. He had definitely felt something, but he couldn't see anything. He fished around in his pocket for a jeweler's loupe, which would allow him a closer look. He angled the ring for better lighting and closed his left eye, peering through the lens. Now, he could definitely see something.

"Something wrong with it?" Asked Sky nervously, but the falcon waved him away without looking up from the ring.

"I think this thing has an engraving…" the old man muttered. Jax and Sky tried to lean forward again, but they were pushed away roughly. "Have patience you idiots! Can't see when you cast a shadow over me!"

It was faded from time and erosion, but Wolman could swear the engraving was of the head of some kind of beast. It looked reptilian, but not like your garden-variety lizard. No, it was a dragon! He was sure of it. For some odd reason, he recognized the symbol, but he couldn't quite place from where. He knew it was something important, though.

"Okay, look, you two need to hold onto this ring for a little bit. Don't let _anyone_ take it." The old bird instructed sternly, handing the ring back to Sky.

"Find something?" asked Jax as the lynx slid the ring back on his finger.

"Maybe. Don't get your hopes up. It may be nothing, but I'm going to contact one of my old history buff friends. Weird guy, but he's obsessed with lost legends and stuff like that." Wolman explained, leaning back in his own chair and sipping his drink. Best part about owning the bar was that you couldn't fire yourself for drinking on the job.

"Thanks, Mr. Wolman." Said Sky with a hopeful smile on his face. The old falcon hid his smile and shook his head.

"Don't thank me yet, I still haven't-."

"SKY THE LYNX, WHERE ARE YOU?!" a thunderous voice rang out from the other side of the pub. Everything went silent, and even the music stopped. Everyone looked towards the door, where no other than Tiberius the Tiger stood, looking like death. He moved forward with a small limp in his left leg, and Sky could see several mean-looking bumps across his head from what surely was a brutal fight. A small trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and the look in his eyes was positively murderous. Wolman glanced sideways and saw Jax and Sky duck lower in their seats, averting eye contact. The old man rolled his eyes.

"…What did you do-? You know what? I don't want to know. But tell me, why did you piss off the biggest, meanest sonofabitch in the kingdom?" Wolman growled lowly at the lynx. Sky looked at him with the face of a scared kitten. His eyes were wide, and his ears flattened with abject terror.

"…He's under the distinct impression that I lit his plane on fire or something." Sky whispered fearfully as Tiberius' posse followed in after him, also looking like they'd been put through the wringer.

"I said I didn't want to know!" Wolman growled and ran a hand down his face. These punk kids would never learn, would they?! Wolman considered getting up and leading the enraged pilots away, but you know what? Sometimes a little tough love was necessary. Today's lesson was on "picking your battles".

"Calm down, kid, they're over here." Wolman called out to Tiberius, who rounded on the bird. Once he saw the main target of his rage, he waved his friends over. They stormed up to the trio in their armchairs in the back corner.

"You traitor-!" Sky hissed angrily.

"Shut up." Wolman commanded. Sky fell silent, keeping his eyes on Tiberius and tensing up for a fight. One of the tiger's friends put his hand on his hip, and Wolman couldn't help but feel pride when he saw Sky and Jax pull their guns so fast he couldn't track the movement. Good to know his old lessons had gotten through their thick skulls. The six pilots staggered a little bit, but pulled their guns as well, seeing as they outnumbered the two.

"Thought we wouldn't find you, did you?" Tiberius sneered, pointing his gun back at Sky. However, the old falcon stood and calmly placed himself in front of the gun, causing the hotheaded tiger to blink a few times.

"Stop your mouth-breathing, kid, and put the gun away." Ordered Wolman calmly. He didn't even blink as Tiberius raised the gun to his forehead.

"Step aside, old man! Or I'll-!"

"You'll _what,_ you jumped up little shit?!" Wolman barked suddenly, grabbing the barrel of the revolver and pressing it against his own forehead. Tiberius stood, shocked. "Go on, tough guy! Pull the damned trigger or stop wasting my time! C'mon! Do it!"

Tiberius' expression flickered, and his breathing had increased. He didn't want to look like a coward in front of his crew. He couldn't afford such a loss in reputation! But this crazy old man didn't look like he was going to back off.

"…Yeah, that's what I thought. Give me that!" Wolman barked and yanked the pistol out of Tiberius' hand. Then, with a move so quick it would have put Sonic the Hedgehog to shame, the old bird slapped the living daylights out of the much larger tiger, so hard that the pilot could hear his ears ringing.

"Lesson number one: never pull your gun unless you're ready to use it!" snapped Wolman. He gestured to the two behind him and addressed the group of angry pilots. "Look at you kids, so eager to fight. But I know those looks! None of you have ever had to look a man in the eye and do the deed! Sky and Jax here? They have! They probably would have won had I not stepped in!"

Sky and Jax grinned triumphantly, while Tiberius and his gang averted their eyes and awkwardly lowered their weapons. Wollman glared at them all and held out his hands.

"Now, all of you, give me your guns. If we're going to do this, we're doing it the old-fashioned way. C'mon, now!" ordered the old veteran. Tiberius and the others grinned maliciously and eagerly passed over their pistols, then began cracking their knuckles in anticipation.

"W-What?!" Sky yelped. He was met with a menacing look from his mentor.

"You're not weaseling your way out of this, boy! High time you learned to take some responsibility for your bone-headed actions! Now hand it over!" growled the bird. Sky glanced nervously at Jax, who shrugged, before hesitantly handing over his revolver. Once all of the guns were placed safely behind the bar counter, Wolman returned to the group, who were giving each other death glares. The rest of the bar remained silent, watching the spectacle and growing excited. The falcon watched money exchanging hands as they placed bets.

"You two, in the center!" Ordered Wolman to Sky and Tiberius. Tiberius seemed confident, easily twice as big as Sky. The lynx himself seemed rather nervous, but years of experience kept him relatively calm. After fighting actual killers, this little grudge match would be a piece of cake. The two felines strode to the center of the bar, which had been cleared to make a box measuring a good twelve by twelve feet. People stood and surrounded it to create a barrier to keep the fight from moving out of bounds. Sky and Tiberius moved to opposite ends of the box and took up fighting positions. Sky knew for a fact that Tiberius was a competitive fighter. Even if he hadn't, it was hard to miss the competency and technique in his opponent's stance. Hands up to guard the face, elbows and chin tucked down, feet solidly planted on the floorboards. Sky couldn't help but feel like a dope as he took up a much weaker stance which, in his defense, had served its purpose well enough in the past. He'd never really fought in such a formal fashion. Normally, he'd have a bottle or a chair to smash over his adversary's head and that would be it.

"You know the rules," Wolman announced from in between the two. "No killing moves, no limb-breaking, and no weapons. Fight goes until one of you yields or goes unconscious. Break any of the rules and I will personally beat you to within an inch of your life! Ready?"

Sky nodded, knowing full well that the old bird was serious about his threat. Across from him, Tiberius stared him right in the eye as his friends patted him on the shoulder. Jax kind of sat awkwardly to the side, shouting what little encouragement he could muster. They both had an undying feeling that the lynx was about to get the crap kicked out of him. Time slowed to a crawl. Sky was using every moment he had to size up the tiger.

"Set!"

Okay, so Tiberius was much larger and stronger. Wrestling him was a no-go. If Sky steered clear of the tiger's powerful grip, he might have a chance. Tiberius was also an excellent striker, evident from the boxing awards he'd earned over his lifetime, so striking was a no-go as well.

Sky was screwed.

"Go!"

As soon as those words were spoken, Sky watched Tiberius bear down on him with great speed. The lynx gulped and moved in as well. If he was going to fight, might as well swing first!

So that's exactly what Sky did. He reached back and sent out a straight punch, putting all of his power into it, aiming right for that arrogant prick's face.

He felt nothing.

In a move that seemed to fast to be natural, Tiberius side-stepped and tagged Sky just below the left eye with a jab, sending the Lynx staggering back. The tiger followed right up with his own power-punch, which Sky deflected off his guard. Sky fired back with a low punch to the stomach, which connected, but not quite with the force he was expecting. Tiberius exhaled sharply but didn't seem all that phased. Sky took his meager opportunity none the less and threw out a haymaker with his left. It found its mark on the tiger's temple, eliciting a pained grunt from the larger man, who leapt back to avoid the kick Sky was following up with. All around, Sky could see other patrons unhappily passing over money to each other, meaning they hadn't expected him to last this long. That was pretty good, right?!

He didn't have time to celebrate, as Tiberius was on the attack once more, throwing a right hook which Sky stopped with both of his arms, but that only left him open for another jab that made his vision go white with pain. Sky stumbled backwards, mind blank and unsure of what to do next.

"Sky! Look-!" Jax tried to scream before the lynx's world became nothing but pain. The tiger had connected right to Sky's snout with a straight power punch with his rear fist. Images seemed to flash across his eyes as the roaring of the crowd became far away and dull, as if he were under water. Farther and farther back he stumbled, fighting to stay on his feet. Then, he hit a barrier, which seemed to give just a little bit. He tasted blood in his mouth, and his nose throbbed incessantly. He felt hands grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. That seemed to bring him back to his senses enough to realize he had fallen right into the crowd around the edge of the box. He shook his head, getting his bearings, before they pushed him back into the ring. At the other end, Tiberius stood with his back turned, waving to his friends and making jokes. The _really_ pissed off the lynx, who yelled several obscenities at the top of his lungs and charged like a rabid animal.

Tiberius began whirling around just as Sky launched himself like a missile, aiming for the head and shoulders. Then, Sky stopped in mid-air, and mewled quietly.

Tiberius had _caught him_. The tiger had reached out, and grasped him by the front of his jacket, and held him there like an infant. Sky felt himself being dragged in for a mighty throw, and running on instinct, craned his neck back and shot forward, slamming his hard head into the bridge of Tiberius' nose. Pain flashed across Sky's head, but he was too jumped up on adrenaline to notice. What he did notice, however, was the sweet sound of bones and cartilage cracking. It was beautiful music to the lynx's ears.

"You… Asshole…!" Tiberius gasped as he stepped back, dropping Sky to clutch his face. Sky didn't let up, ducking low and wrapping his arms around the tiger's legs, sending the other feline flopping to the floor. The crowd began to cheer as more money exchanged hands. Sky wasted no time in scrambling atop the tiger and straddling his chest. Then came the fun part, in which the lynx slammed down punch after punch at Tiberius' face. Some bounced off the tiger's guard, some missed entirely and slammed into the floor, sending shocks of pain through Sky's wrists and forearms. Some hit their mark, filling the air with satisfying thuds and yelps of pain.

All good things must come to an end it seemed, because Tiberius recovered and grabbed Sky once more. Sky felt two boots being planted on his chest, and the next moment, the lynx was airborne. Before he knew it, Sky landed flat on his back and felt the wind being knocked out of him. He coughed and wheezed, letting out a few silent curses as he tried in vain to crawl back to his feet.

"Knife!" someone called out over the commotion. Sky questioned what this statement meant. He figured it out pretty quick, as a large shadow loomed over him, and he soon felt a crushing weight on his chest. He sensed movement, and reaching up on pure instinct, caught Tiberius' wrist with both hands, pushing back with all his might to keep the small switchblade from reaching his collar bone.

"Die! Just die, you worm!" Tiberius roared in his face, putting all of his weight behind the blade.

Then, all hell broke loose.

First, Jax climbed up on the bar and dove over the crowd, tackling the much larger feline and sending them to the floor in a wild mess of flailing limbs. The knife skittered away into the mass of spectators. Sky got back on his feet and rushed to his friend's aid, while at the same time Tiberius' friends did the same. Then, looking away, Sky saw others- people whom he'd come to know over the years- wading through the crowd to help, James Wolman included. With no more rules binding him, Sky felt much more confident as he rushed an orange cat who was readying himself to kick Jax in the ribs. He ran past a table and scooped up a beer bottle by the neck. With a battle cry, the lynx slammed it across the back of the cat's head. The bottle shattered, and his opponent collapsed like a sack of potatoes. Out of nowhere, a large bear slammed his fist into the side of Sky's head. Dazed, there was little Sky could do as he felt himself being grabbed from behind.

Once more, he went flying. This time, towards one of the front windows of the establishment. He screamed in terror, bringing up his arms to shield himself. There was a crash, then everything went dark.

For a few seconds, he found himself coming to. The first thing his eyes focused on were on a beautiful pair of shining gems that he'd often dreamed of. Such a rich gold color, those eyes seemed to dance with the raging flames that were embedded in her very soul. The epitome of beauty and grace, but so far out of his reach.

She didn't look happy, as always. He knew she could smell his filthy clothing. He felt so embarrassed! He'd planned on showering and grooming himself before going to see her. If anything, he should at least say hi!

He barely managed to get his hand up to wave before the world went dark once more…

 _ **XXX**_

… _ **As much as I hate to admit it, nights like that were pretty par for the course. Worse still- worse than getting dragged off to the royal dungeons- I hadn't even managed to take a bath before getting the crap kicked out of me again. Honestly, it was all Tiberius' fault. If he weren't such an insufferable jackass, this whole evening might have gone a lot different, and maybe I wouldn't have messed up one of my rare opportunities with the princess.**_

 _ **Anyways, I was unconscious and covered in my own blood, being dragged through the streets like a freshly-killed deer. I didn't know what awaited me when I finally came to, but I was gonna find out eventually…**_


End file.
